Butterfly
by Dulce Periculum
Summary: 'She certainly was odd for being an NCR sniper. She simply refused to be paired with anyone for more than a week or so, and Boone was now determined to find out why.' Boone/OC, one-shot. A quick story based on the DDR song 'Butterfly'. R&R anyone?


**Not really sure why this idea came up in my head... Well, I guess you could blame all the DDR songs I've been listening to for a while now. And after a long session of thinking while the power was out, I decided that Boone was like an NCR samurai. *sigh* Please don't ask. Sometimes I think too much, and this is what comes out of it. So, read and review, but I ask for criticism, not 'OMG this SUUUUKS! U fail!' or something along those lines. I did my best to avoid any out-of-character actions/dialogue, but if anything is to OOC... let me know, okay? I can only get better if you people help me out here. Also, let me know if anyone would like to see this left alone, or continued, because it's rather open-ended. **

**And, before I forget:**

** I do not own any rights to Fallout: New Vegas. Any characters with the exception of those not seen or mentioned in-game are also not my property. The song that inspired this story is also not owned by myself, and all credit goes to the respectful owners of said song and game. **

**Good enough? Yes? Okay, I'm done. **

**~D/P **

**Butterfly**

**by: Dulce Periculum**

She certainly was odd for being an NCR sniper. People didn't talk about her as much as they talked about the famed Courier, who helped the Republic take out most of the Fiends in the area of New Vegas, but anyone who was ever in First Recon since 2278 knew the girls story. Her aim was better than most, she was silent, and best of all- to some-, she wasn't tied down like a lot of the women in the NCR.

So when she suddenly appeared in Novac, it confused both Manny Vargas and Craig Boone. She didn't come alone- a small band of recruits followed her. The leader, a man called Corbin, told the new owner of the motel, Cliff, that they were traveling and wouldn't stay long. It would have been normal if they came, spent the night, and left, which everyone but _her,_ did. It was only natural for Boone to confront her during Manny's shift. He found her in front of the dinosaur building, rifle in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Normally, in the NCR, snipers traveled in pairs so nothing could surprise them. From what Boone was told, this girl would take on a new partner, and then a week or two later, demand a replacement, threatening to leave. She had been paired with the second-best to someone fresh from training, and she rejected them all. There were only so many snipers around, so at one point, a higher power stuck her with her first partner again, and she was ordered to work with him for two years.

The phrase 'till death do us part' was taken quite literally after that. Her partner died the second year they were together, and everything went back to normal. She simply refused to be paired with anyone for more than a week or so, and Boone was now determined to find out why.

As he approached, she spoke to him.

"Need something, Sir Serious?" she said, almost insulting him.

"You could say that, yeah," Boone muttered back once he stood next to her.

"As long as it's not a partnership proposition, I'll listen."

"That's just it. I've heard the stories, and they say you refuse to work with anyone without putting up a fight."

She stood and looked him in the eye- quite literally. Bandages covered the left part of her face, including her eye. It nearly made him shiver as she took a drag on her cigarette.

"'Heard the stories', eh? So, Sir Serious, you wanna find out why little old Butterfly won't be happy with just a random stranger, let alone a new recruit that pisses himself at the sight of a lone Legionary, _and_ won't stop hitting on me."

She blew a strand of golden hair from in front of her face, tossed her cigarette to the ground, and crushed it.

"Figure it out."

Boone could tell she wasn't lying, but he knew she wasn't telling the whole story. As she turned to leave, clearly bored with him, he spoke.

"A real soldier puts up with that kind of thing," he said, making her whip back around. "You're hiding something, and we both know it."

"You figure this how? What are you, a doctor as well as an ex-sniper? Please. I've told you all you need to hear, so unless you can change what already is, you can go walk into a Legion camp unarmed for all I care."

"That what happened to you? Or did you just slip up on the job and get spotted by some asinine fiend who got lucky?"

He saw her twitch at the mention of her wound, and he could have sworn her remaining eye grew darker.

"Sir Serious plays a dangerous game, indeed… I wonder if he has the guts to listen to my full story…" she said, a grin forming on her face.

"Shoot."

She nearly did.

In a flash, Boone felt the barrel of a pistol pressed to his forehead, wielded by Butterfly. Her grin was gone, and its replacement was a dark 'I'm-going-to-kill-you' look that would make even Caesar run back to hell, crying for his mother.

"Look here, asshole, I don't care who the hell you are. You certainly don't look like a god-damned therapist to me, so mind your own damn business and stop asking questions that'll get you killed."

She gave a hard shove with the pistol, pushing him backward. Before he could move, her pistol was holstered and she was walking quickly away from him, toward the motel. Following her wasn't an option, Boone knew that. She might blow his brains out if he did. It was getting dark, too, and he saw Manny had left for the night. With a sigh and a stretch, Boone walked to the door on the side of the green lizard and entered, quickly going through the small gift shop to his post.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Around three in the morning, the door behind him swung open and he was joined by Butterfly, who had her rifle in her hands. Silently, she stood next to him, scanning the ground with her eye. It felt like an hour had gone by before she spoke, and it nearly had been.<p>

"I grew up in a Vault, you know. We had a lot of Pre-war history down there. Kids had to attend classes, mostly on history. There was one thing that stuck with me, and call me crazy, but it's exactly what I'm looking for now."

Boone kept quiet, tossing a questioning look her way before she continued.

"Before the war, there was another country, basically on the other side of the world. I can't remember the name, but even before America was settled, they had these… warriors, I guess. They were called samurai, and they were loyal to the death. Strong, but some of them shy. When I left my vault, I vowed to be like them, but I never expected to be looking for one like I am now. Or at least, someone like them.

"When I became a sniper, I expected my partner to be a samurai. Strong, loyal to me as I was to him, and ready to die for me, as I was. But, at the first sign of trouble, when we were seen by a Legion Patrol… He ran for his life while I covered his sorry ass, and left me with a cut-up face, near death. I had to limp back to Camp Forlorn Hope with only my rifle and a machete I stole from a dead man.

"He wasn't the samurai I hoped he would be. He wasn't loyal. So when I got another partner, I hoped he would be someone I could count on. He was loyal and strong, but…"

Boone turned to look at her.

"He was an ass, right?"

She nodded, closing her eye for a moment. It took her a moment, but she continued.

"The next one after that got his leg shot up. Then the next one was too jumpy, and attracted too much attention. Then it was another asshole. And after that, a kid who couldn't shoot straight and got knocked out by her own guns backfire. After that, a few more assholes I refused to put up with, one of them a girl for Gods sake. The last one before I was stuck back with my original partner was nearly a samurai… He took one step too close to a steep cliff and broke his arm beyond repair. After that, I guess you know the story. Mister Original died, and, well… Here I am."

Boone never knew a sniper with so much to say. She managed to keep her cool the whole time, though, so he supposed it wasn't the first time she told her story to someone. Why she decided to tell it to him was some what of a mystery, but his best guess was it was more of an apology than anything for earlier.

"So you're looking for a partner now, I assume?" Boone asked. She nodded.

"I'm sure I'll find one, but not around here. Who knows, I may just have to back to California and look there."

Butterfly straightened herself.

"Thanks for listening. I'd better leave you to your watch."

Once again, she turned to leave, but Boone caught her wrist before she could even open the door.

"My partner and I are in a… disagreement. I'm sure he'd be thrilled if I left."

She gave him a questioning look, but smiled.

"Sir Serious, eh? If you just up and leave your friend, you could easily do the same to me."

She was smart. Boone admired that at once.

"Trust me, he's an asshole. Like most of your partners."

"You won't run, will you?"

"Do I look like the type to run off to you?"

"Alright. Based on your grip, you're strong enough… So, when do we leave?"

"The sooner the better."

"Okay, Sir Serious. From now on, you have to prove yourself. Prove to me you're a samurai."


End file.
